XV Hearts
by Tori-no-shonen
Summary: A name and a number. That is all Lexlan has. Each morning he dawns the coat of his people, going through the endless motions. Mission after mission. But could a group mission be the end of his repetitious process? Could these others truly show him light in a life where even his heart was stolen? [thinking of doing pairings in later chapters]
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello people! This is the first chapter for my newest story, XV Hearts. I WARN ALL READERS NOW THAT MY FIRST CHAPTERS ARE GENERALLY QUITE SHORT. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO CHAPTERS THAT FOLLOW! I'm really quite proud of this, and I really want to know what you guys think. So leave a review or shoot me a message. right let's get started.**

Chapter 1

"Who are you," asked the boy as the tall figure stepped out of the darkness, face clad in the shadows of his hood, long coat fluttering with a sudden gust of wind.

"I am the shadow, a remnant of what was once great..." There was a short silence. "Or maybe I am all there ever was."

"And your name?" The boy spoke in a monotone voice, never for a second peering up from the ground beneath his feet, dull eyes examining the dirt, emotion void from his expression.

"Lost with what you and I lack." The figure stood at rest, his voice clear and firm. "What about you? Do you remember your name?"

"My name is..." His voice trailed off. It was stuck in his throat, though he screamed it in his mind.

"I offer you purpose. I offer you a name and a seat of power in your meaningless existence." He extended a hand in front of the boy, an X appearing in front of his face. "Do you accept?"

The man was answered by the nod of the boy's head, raising it to stare into the darkness of the other's hood.

The man smirked from beneath his hood.

The X began to swirl around the boy, other letters appearing, scrambling. They stopped in front of him and he read the word aloud. "Lexlan..."

"That is right," said the man, placing a hand on the boy's bonny shoulder. "The new you." He led the boy into the shadows, slowly disappearing in their smothering warmth.

Before vanishing in the veil of swirling darkness he took one more look at the light and its warmth. The way of the light had shunned him, so he would walk a path of darkness. Lexlan would begin his new life.


	2. Chapter 2

His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the brightness of his new room. Sitting up slowly he peered out his window. A dark, clouded sky as always. Lexlan stood, bare feet touching the cold tile floor. Shivering slightly, he made his way to the far side of his empty room retrieving his garments from a tall dresser scaling the wall to the right of the door.

There was no real choice as to what he could wear. The Organization had a strict uniform policy. While on duty (which was almost always) all fifteen members were expected to wear such. The uniforms consisted of black boots or loafers, lose black jeans or slacks, optional black gloves, and a long, leather trench coat. The only other color on them was the silver metal on the coat's chains and the sides of the boots.

Lexlan's face grimaced at the clothing. That is, as close to a grimace his face could get. He was sometimes tempted to go out into the Grey Area (a sort of commons) dressed in street clothes simply to see the reaction of the other fourteen members. However dull he thought it, though, he threw on the uniform either way, boots, gloves, and all. Lexlan huffed his way over to the door which slid open.

Another oddity. All the doors were automatic. Theoretically, each bedroom could easily be converted into prison cells. The thought of his door one day not opening was one easily shrugged off by Lexlan, however. He'd rigged it in his spare time, disabling all locks save the privacy lock. Him and machines just seemed to click. As Luxord was called the Gambler of Fate, or Xion and Roxas the Keys of Destiny, he was called the Tinker of Life.

Boots clicking as he walked the empty halls, he had his destination set on the Grey Area. There he would await his assignment from Saix.

Arriving, he plopped down on one of the many couches. His ears homed in on some of the chatter going on around him. One conversation in particular caught his ear. "You going to the clock tower today?" He recognized the voice as Number XIII. Roxas. The youngest member of the Organization. Sixteen, maybe? About the same age as Lexlan.

"You bet. No reason to come back here. Not like there's anything to do other then sleep." The Flaming Assassin. Axel. The spiky red head, filled with sarcasm. His emerald green eyes pierced through whatever he looked at.

"Hey, what's up with the new guy? He's kinda creepy." Roxas' blue eyes squinted a bit as he said this.

Axel broke into laughter. "You weren't much better when you came in, Roxas. You were like a zombie." Axel ran a hand through Roxas' blond hair. "Besides, my mission is with him today. What's his name? Lex? Lexly? Something along those lines?"

Lexlan took this moment to make his presence known. "Lexlan," he said. The conversations around him had ceased, eyes homing in on him. It was the first word they had heard him speak. There were about four other members in the area, including Axel and Roxas. Luxord and Xaldin had been engaged in a game of Spite and Malice, both stopping simply to stare. "My name is Lexlan," he repeated. His eyes were as dull as ever, those blue eyes.

Silence had fallen. The red head smirked. "Lexlan... Riiiiiight." He approached slowly, hands on his sides. "Well then, Lexlan let's get going! Those heartless aren't going to eliminate themselves." He ruffled the boy's long, messy, jet black hair that swirled and spiked in every which direction.

Lexlan only stared at Axel with an emotionless expression. Where one might find annoyance or anger, one would see nothing on Lexlan's face. He was numb. Empty. A true Nobody.

Luxord let out a small chuckle. "It's Roxas all over again."

"Hey," Roxas yelled. "At least I could form a sentence!"

"Barely," commented Axel.

"Leave the damned boy alone," Xaldin commanded. "The poor lad has only recently lost his heart. Emotions are a thing of fiction to him. Logic claims rule of him. More will be shown of him in the times to come."

Axel sighed. "On that note... Saix ordered we leave as soon as you got here so let's get going."

Lexlan stared at him with a blank expression. "What are the objectives...?"

"Errr..." Axel wasn't entirely sure himself. He fished through his pockets, retrieving the mission summery. "'A swarm of Emblem Heartless has surfaced in Twilight Town. Keep them at bay until we can send either Roxas or Xion to eliminate them for good. Targets have been sighted in the Sandlot and Station Plaza. Reinforcements will be sent at the earliest convenience.' Looks like we're in for one hell of a fight."

Lexlan remained silent. The other members had went back to their business.

"Uh, right. Should I open the Corridor of Darkness or should you?"

Lexlan tilted his head, obviously confused.

"You've been on at least a dozen missions already and you don't know what those are yet!? Oh man!" Axel let out a chuckle. Lexlan remained unmoved by Axel's comment. "Corridor's of Darkness are the swirling portal thingies we use to travel between worlds. We can go anywhere with those things."

"Oh... I am familiar with them."

Axel scratched the back of his head before opening a pathway. "Well then... Off we go." He stepped through the dark portal, smothering himself in shadows, Lexlan following in suit.

The two emerged in what seemed to be a back ally. Lexlan scanned the surrounding area. "Target one is one area to the south of our current location. Two areas to the northwest is target number two. I recommend target one as our first objective, seeing as how it is closer."

"Well your a real robot aren't you?" Axel closed the Corridor of Darkness, locking eyes with the younger of the two.

"..."

"You CAN answer back y'know. I don't bite."

There was a long silence, Lexlan hadn't even blinked. He simply stared at the ground as if waiting for it to rip open.

Axel, tiered of the unyielding silence, brought himself down to the boy. "Hellllooooo? Anyone home?" He waved a hand in front of Lexlan's eyes. He didn't even flinch.

Finally he looked up. His sapphires meeting Axel's emeralds "How do you mean? In what way am I a robot?"

'Ah,' Axel thought to himself. 'So not only are the lights on, but someone's home.' He smirked at the boy. "You're to on track. You follow orders like a mindless machine."

"I was given a job... I just have to finish it, right?"

"But do you really want to finish a mission as soon as you can just to go back to some lousy old castle and waste away?"

"I-" Lexlan hadn't stopped to think about what he wanted. What did he want? All he had done since he had joined the organization was carry out his orders then return to his chambers, no questions asked. "I don't know."

"Look..." Axel paused and sighed. Oh how to explain. "You have to stop and think about yourself."

"I am thinking about myself. If I do everything to the best of my ability, it brings us one step closer to Kingdom Hearts."

"Ugh..." An idea popped into Axel's head. "Well then you'd never disobey a superior, right?"

Lexlan nodded in response.

"Then as your superior, I say you have to accompany me on an 'unofficial mission' right after this one, got it memorized?"

Lexlan nodded. "Yessir." With that he headed southward, Axel chuckling behind.

The two arrived in the sandlot. It was more or less one big open space. Usually quiet, it buzzed with the wings of the colorful Heartless that crowded the area. At first glance one would think there to be a hundred of them. At second, one would believe there to be at least a thousand. One lunged at Axel, only to be sliced in half by his twin Chakrams. Axel let out a whistle. "Impressive..." He smiled at Lexlan. "Give me one hell of a show newbie!"

Lexlan clapped his hands together in a prayer like fashion, separating them slowly, a straight beam of light appearing in between his palms. He tossed it in the air, catching it in the center. The light burst away in small particles, revealing a black bow staff with red cracks and crevices throughout the weapon. He chambered it at his side before charging forward into the center of the swarm, slashing and stabbing at the monsters with lightning quick movement, using the length of the staff to take out several targets at a time.

Axel grinned."Good to know you can fight!"

Lexlan was in his own world, slashing away at the creatures. He blocked an incoming strike from above, using the staff to bring the Heartless down, he delivered a ball kick to the beast, destroying it. Landing forward, he performed two cross strikes. He felt the warmth of fire at his backside, turning around just in time to see a flying Chakram, encased in flames slice a heartless in half, returning to its owner, destroying many more on its way.

"Watch your six" Axel yelled as he used his pyromatic abilities to bring his Chakrams around like boomerangs, stringing together a multitude of flaming strikes.

It was at this moment Lexlan understood Axel's title. The Flurry of Dancing Flames. To any other it would look like a beautiful display of dancing fire, like an angel of vengeful flame. To Lexlan, it was just movement. Nothing special.

Regardless, to an onlooker Lexlan was nothing sort of amazing. He seemed to dance amongst the battlefield, his staff gliding through his enemies like a knife through butter, graceful and fast, a skeptical in the clouds of purple smoke that arose from the destroyed Heartless. He dodged yet another attack, back flipping right outside the swarm. He took this as an opportunity to gather his bearings. Lexlan observed the swarm, searching for a flight pattern. He mumbled his scans under his breath. "Up... Left, up... Down... Right... Up, left." He nodded to himself in confirmation. Lexlan slammed his staff into the ground, piercing it like a needle through a piece of fabric. The cracks of his staff changed from red to blue, glowing a brilliant yellow. A small crevice opened in the earth. He yelled to his fiery companion. "Axel! Out of the way!"

Axel quickly made his way out of the swarm. "Got a plan, eh?"

Lexlan twisted his staff in the ground, a barrage of radiant energy burst from the crevice, spears of light taking out Heartless after Heartless, slicing through them effortlessly. In any other situation, the attack might only take out three or four Heartless, though this was a tightly packed group. One swing of his staff could take out at least five at once. An attack that in a normal situation only takes out three takes out at least a hundred. But Lexlan wouldn't stop at that. He poured more energy into the attack, enough to leave a gorging hole in the swarm.

By the time the barrage had stopped, Lexlan had drained himself dry. He collapsed to his knees, kneeling on his staff for support.

Axel jumped in front of the boy, guarding him from would be attacks. "Wow you pack a punch! My turn though." Axel encased a chakram in fire, throwing it with all his might. It bounced off enemy after enemy, destroying one after another. When the fiery wheel could no longer find an enemy, it made its way back to its owner. As soon as it did, Axel slammed his weapons together, columns of fire charging forward. Axel turned to Lexlan, who had gotten back onto his feet. "Only a few left. Ready to take them out?"

Lexlan simply nodded. He ripped his staff out of the ground, the cracks turning back to their crimson red. One big attack from the both of them could end it quickly.

The two charged in, side by side. Axel tossed his chakrams up into the air. Lexlan hopped on top of heartless after heartless, using them to gain elevation in a sort of chimney jump. Finally in the air, he grabbed one chakram in his left hand, ignoring the burn, hooking the other one at the end of his staff. He dove downward, slamming the first into the earth, causing a huge explosion. He wasn't done. "Axel," he yelled before throwing his staff to him.

Axel quickly caught the staff, taking a moment to marvel it. He smiled before grabbing the end of it, chakram still hooked. A huge grin on his face, he yelled. "BATTER UP!" The green eyed assassin swung the staff like one would a baseball bat, sending the chakram flying in a circular motion. He continued to swing the staff around, over and around, channeling it with his pulsing flames. The chakram orbited around the staff's rang, sending up, as well as in, gusts of wind, causing a tornado of fire, eliminating the remaining Heartless. No stragglers. Just the silver hearts floating away.

Lexlan exhaled deeply, panting heavily. 'Finally over,' he thought to himself. He'd exerted far to much energy at once. Now he'd pay for it.

"It's not over yet," Axel said, practically reading Lexlan's thoughts.

"But we-"

"A Heartless can only be fully destroyed by a keyblade master. If it's taken down by anything else, it just pops up in some other place."

"Well then why send us to eliminate swarms, why not these 'keyblade masters?'"

"Well Xion and Roxas probably had a more pressing mission. Even though we can't destroy them, we can keep them at bay."

Lexlan thought for a minute. "Numbers XIII and XIV?"

"Bingo." He smirked. "My two best buds. Mess with them, you mess with me. Got it memorized?"

Lexlan stared at him blankly. "Buds?"

"Yeah. You know, friends."

"How?"

"Huh?" The question alluded him. "What do you mean how? They just... Are."

"How can a Nobody make friends?" It made no sense to Lexlan. A Nobody was just an empty husk. No heart to feel with. Just a mind and body. In order for friends to be made, wouldn't you need to feel a connection? And to feel, wouldn't you need a heart?

To answer his question, a new voice intruded on their conversation. "We just do," it said.

Axel and Lexlan turned to see the voice's smiling source. Number XIII, Roxas.

"Roxas! Glad you could join us ever so early," greeted the red head sarcastically.

He scratched the back of his head, letting out a nervous laugh. "Sorry... My target was beyond huge."

Axel turned back to Lexlan to address his previous question. "It's as unexplainable as when we were human."

"I don't get it," stated Lexlan blankly.

"To be honest I don't understand it either. Then again it's not like I can remember what feeling is even like," said the blond as he made his way over to the others.

"Thus the nickname Zombie," joked the red head as he ruffled Roxas's hair.

"Shut up, Pyro maniac."

"Whatever, Ghoul."

The two simply laughed.

Lexlan stared at the two, expression void of any emotion. The scene seemed so familiar to him. He had seen this scenario before. Though last time he was a participant. It was like he was trapped in a dark hole, and the rope to his escape was just out of reach. He felt like if he could just grab hold of it, he could start to climb out and into the warm light.

"I'm sure you had friends of your own, back at your home world." Axel locked eyes with the raven haired boy. He wanted to learn more of the newcomer. "Where are you from, anyway?"

There it was. His friends. His home. 'Odd,' he thought to himself. 'I haven't thought about home at all since coming here. Not the monastery, not the countryside, not even the city.' He wondered if his master was searching for him. He wondered if his friends had noticed his disappearance. He hadn't necessarily said any goodbyes. He remembered just a few days before he'd left how he'd spoken to his friends. He replayed the events in his mind.

~

"So we'll see you in a week," asked a girl with long blue hair. Her purple eyes stared back into Lexlan's sapphire's. She wore a black sleeveless shirt, bulky grey cargo pants littered with pockets, fingerless gloves, and white sneakers. Lexlan identified her as Luna.

"Yeah, Master Yami's gonna work me to the bone after sneaking away from training. Here comes hours of meditating and book work." It was Lexlan, a nervous smile across his face. He looked so different compared to now. His hair was neatly tied in the back of his head, his bangs slightly spiked. He wore all white. A short sleeve, V necked, button up gee top; a pair of loose pants held up by a tightly knotted string at the waist, and jika-tabi sandals which clicked with each step he took.

It was a boy who spoke next. He had messy, short brown hair, and green eyes. He wore blue jeans, brown work boots, a white tee, littered with oil stains; and a spotless yet wrinkled flannel shirt over it. Lexlan immediately recognized the boy as Leo. "I don't even know why you stay there, _." Lexlan blocked the final word from his mind, censoring it from his very thoughts. He would let that name fade in shadows. Leo placed his hands on Lexlan's, rather, his old self's shoulders. "You should come back to Regnum's Edge with me! We could go back to working with Cid in his lab."

Regnum's Edge. The city Lexlan once called home. He had given up his life there to find what he believed to be a higher purpose.

_ shook his head. "I told you... I can do more as a master then I could ever do tinkering away at some machine."

"But your cut off from the rest of the world! How many people did you sneak past to get here," Leo asked half sarcastically.

"About twenty. Er... Nineteen. I knocked a farmer out." He beamed a smile to the two.

Luna rolled her eyes. "You never change, _."

"Wait, you'd expect him to," Leo joked.

"Shut up, City Boy," _ shot back.

"Whatever, Monk-Wanna-Be."

~

"Lexlan? Lexlan?!" Axel shook the newcomer gently, snapping him away from his memories.

"Huh?" Lexlan stared at the red-head blankly.

"You ok," Roxas asked. "You kinda spaced out."

"Fine. Just thinking," Lexlan answered coldly. "Don't worry about it. We still have another swarm to eliminate. Based off what Axel said, it should be twice the size of the first."

Axel grinned smugly. "A huge swarm of heartless verses three organization members? They don't stand a chance."

Lexlan held out a hand, shooting Axel a demanding look. "Staff," he commanded before throwing the chakram to the pyro.

Axel effortlessly caught the spiked wheel before dismissing it and its twin. They seemed to simply burn out of existence. "I might just keep the staff," he said jokingly. He brought it to his face to examine the weapon. "It suits me." Axel smirked wickedly at the raven-haired boy before letting his hand slide to the center and chambered it at his side like he had seen Lexlan do earlier.

Lexlan's eyes narrowed at the taller male, a murderous aura radiating off him. "Give it. Now."

Roxas took a few steps back, not wanting to be caught in the boy's line of fire.

Axel on the other hand thought he'd test Lexlan's limits. "Or what?"

Lexlan charged at Axel, sending a thrust punch to his stomach as a feint.

Axel took the bait, focusing his free arm on blocking the up coming strike.

Lexlan took this as a chance to disarm Axel. He took his pointer and middle fingers of his left hand and thrust as hard as he could underneath Axel's elbow.

This caused the red head to let out a loud yelp of pain, dropping the staff and falling to his knees as he grasped the struck area.

Lexlan caught the staff before it hit the ground, and stood over the older male. "Or the next time you test me, I'll hit your spinal atlas." He dismissed his staff, as it disappeared in a flash of light.

Axel grunted in pain. "Ooof... Note to self... Don't piss off Lexlan." His gaze shifted from his unmoving arm to Lexlan's sapphire eyes. "What did you do to my arm?"

"There's a pressure point there. When it's struck hard enough, it temporarily paralyzes your arm." Realizing Axel's concern he added. "Give it about three minutes and you can move it again."

"And the spinal thingamajig?"

"Paralyzes your whole body."

"You don't like me much, do you?" Axel half expected Lexlan to nod a yes, but was pleasantly surprised by his response.

"No. I don't mind you in the slightest. Just don't touch my staff and the organization won't have to search for a new assassin to do the icky jobs." As usual he displayed no emotion. He turned to the red head. "Now come on. We have heads to bash." Lexlan couldn't help but compare Axel to his friend, Leo. The sarcastic comments, the evil grins, even their eyes were similar.

Axel could have sworn he saw a small smirk on Lexlan's face. Standing from where he knelt, Roxas came running towards him as Lexlan went off in the direction of Station Plaza. The blond looked over his friend. "Axel! You ok?"

Axel only smirked. "I think I'm gonna like this new guy."

Roxas just gave a puzzled look.

Axel chuckled. "Can't wait till he starts remembering how to feel... We're gonna get along great."

The two caught up to Lexlan, Axel taking the lead. Roxas stood silently next to Lexlan. The three walked at a slow, leisurely pace.

"So," Roxas started, breaking the silence. "How are you adjusting to life at the castle," Roxas asked Lexlan.

Lexlan raised a brow. That was out of the blue. "Fine," he stated simply.

It was Roxas's turn to raise a brow. "Really? Your room is right across from Demnyx and your doing 'fine?'"

Lexlan let out a small "heh." This caused both Axel and Roxas to stare.

Was that a snicker? No. It couldn't be. Not from him.

Lexlan let a small smirk form on his lips. "I'll admit, it's annoying. I'm ready to smash that sitar of his over his head."

Roxas burst into laughter. "Xigbar might beat you to it. I hear they're both off today."

"Well then I'll burn the remains."

"Did I hear burn," Axel chimed in.

"NO!" Both Roxas and Lexlan yelled this in unison, neither wanting the castle to burn to a crisp.

"Damn," Axel pouted before losing interest of what the two were talking about.

"Where is your room, anyway," Lexlan asked.

"Two doors down from you."

"Hmn." Lexlan looked the blond over, a question itching at the back of his mind until finally he asked. "Why do they call you Zombie?"

Roxas let out an audible grown. "Because I barley spoke a word the first week I was here." Roxas let out a sigh. Those first seven days still a complete blur. "From what I've heard you were the same way. Were you the same as I was when I came in?"

Lexlan looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"No memories from before you became a Nobody."

Lexlan's jaw dropped at this. "You mean you can't remember anything from before the organization?"

"Nope... Not my name, my home, not even friends and family. Nothing." Roxas clenched his fist a bit. "What about you? Do you remember anything?"

Lexlan nodded a yes. "Yeah. Every detail." The three stopped at the a garage. One right turn and they'd be there.

Axel turned to face the two, assuming the role of leader. "Alright... As soon as we walk in there, the exits will be sealed off. So get ready now."

"Axel," Lexlan said.

"We're in for a big fight so lets be prepared."

"Axel," he tried again.

"Try not to get in my way while I'm fighting. Don't want you two little ones getting bur-"

"AXEL!"

"What?!"

Lexlan sighed. "I have an idea."

"What's up," Roxas asked.

Lexlan summoned his staff. "Can either of you two free run?"

Axel nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"A little bit. I'm not the best," Roxas said.

"Think you could scale that wall?" Lexlan pointed to the wall to their right. Beyond it was the plaza.

Both of them nodded.

"Axel, remember that explosion thing we did where we slammed our weapons into the ground?"

Again Axel nodded, leaving Roxas to pounder.

"Well what if we did that from higher elevation with three people?"

Axel considered the plan. "The explosion would take out at least half."

"More if we aim." Lexlan glanced at the confused Roxas. "Fill Blondie in. I'll secure a spot."

Before said blond could protest, Lexlan had begun to bounce from wall to wall, making his way swiftly to the rooftops.

Axel simply smirked again. "Definitely going to get along great," he muttered, just an decibel high enough for Roxas to hear.

He shrugged Lexlan's comment off before turning to the red head. "Hate to say I agree."

The two gave a knowing glare to one another, smiles plastered on his face before Axel began to explain prior events.

Little did they know of the events yet to come.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: sorry for the wait on this chapter, guys. But hey! I'm still kicking! I wish I could put in bold and italic letters, but my stupid phone doesn't want to work for me. At all.

Oh, er... disclaimer thingy. forgot to add one. The previous and following story belongs to me, and is based off of the kingdom hearts franchise. Any content appearing in kingdom hearts is property of disney interactive studios and square enix.

A mere three minutes had passed before Roxas and Axel had joined Lexlan on the roof. Roxas stretched his arms while Axel slouched lazily against a nearby wall.

Lexlan had taken to observing the plaza bellow. He gave a silent cock of his head when he noticed the presence of the other two, signaling Roxas to join him in his scanning of the field below.

The golden haired boy gave a quizzical look. "Something wrong?"

Lexlan made no noticeable change in expression, still wearing the same blank face. "The Organization needs you to permanently destroy Heartless, correct? That in mind, logic dictates that you've probably seen more Heartless then either me or Axel."

"Yeah, so what?" Roxas had yet to let his gaze fall from the raven haired boy.

Lexlan pointed to the plaza. "What does THAT mean?"

Roxas averted his eyes to the swarm below, his eyes widened at the sight. Though of the same species of Heartless, they were twice the normal size and a dark purplish hue. "It could mean one of two things. One, they're more powerful then usual."

"And two?"

Roxas shrugged. "They're trying out a new look."

Axel groaned, pushing away from the wall. "Enough thinking! I say we charge in head first and take these little shits out!"

Lexlan raised a brow, turning to face Roxas. "He's quite the hot head, isn't he?"

Roxas sighed. "You have no clue."

"I'm standing right here, y'know," screamed said hot head.

Lexlan turned his gaze back to the plaza, acknowledging Axel with the simple response of "We know" before turning his attention back to forming a strategy.

"We should focus all three attacks in differing areas."

Lexlan nodded in agreement. "One in the center, one on the left, and another on the right."

"I'll add in a bit of my own power to each attack to make sure these things stay gone." Roxas summoned his key-like weapon in anticipation.

Lexlan turned to Axel. "Looks like your up, pyro."

Axel gave a devilish grin before summoning his chakrams. He sprinted forward at top speed, jumping high in the air, slamming one of his two Chakrams into the ground to the far left. It was at this very second that Roxas emitted a single beam of light from his keyblade, hitting the chakram just a millisecond before it collided with the ground. Upon collision, a fiery explosion engulfed the swarm. Axel landed, throwing its' twin high into the air. "Roxas," Axel yelled, alerting his friend.

Roxas brought himself into a fighting stance. He broke into a sprint and hopped off the roof. Seeing the chakram, Roxas, angling himself just right, slammed his blade into the chakram, mid-air. He had infused the other's weapon with just a drop of his own power, allowing it to deal with the Heartless for just a second. Both he and the fiery wheel came crashing down to the right of the plaza, causing a blast of flame engulfed light to go outward.

"My turn," Lexlan mumbled before summoning his staff. Like the two before him, he jumped off the roof. It was at this moment he was nearly glad for his lack of emotions. He remembered the last time he had fallen like this, only to be met with a hard stone ground as he tumbled downward. He remembered the pain he felt when he awoke in the monastery, with the master and his friend at his side. He remembered the days he spent atop that mountain, only to stay there when the one he considered his brother left. He remembered when he started his new life in the mountains above the world.

He slammed his staff into the ground, hitting the dead center of the throng. He pierced the earth like a needle through a block of foam. Lexlan turned his gaze to the blond. "Roxas! Now!" The Key bearer shot a small beam at Lexlan's staff, sending out a pulsating wave of energy.

When it was all said and done, there stood only five surviving Heartless. All the three had to do was look at them for them to teleport to some different location.

"Mission complete," Lexlan said as he ripped his prized staff from the ground.

Roxas let a grin cross his face as he dismissed his keyblade. He draped his arm over Lexlan's shoulder. "Then it's time for the 'Icing on the Cake!'"

Lexlan looked not only puzzled, but surprised. "The... What?"

It was Axel's turn to grin. "I'll grab the goods. You show Newbie the Clock Tower." With that he was off in a flash.

'Goods?' Lexlan thought to himself. 'Last time I heard that was... Amaterasu! Are they trying to give me drugs?!' At this thought, Lexlan shook the other off of him. "You..." His lip curled. "...disgusting pig!"

Roxas cocked his head. "Uh... What? Did we do something wrong?"

"The 'goods?' How dense do you think I am?"

Roxas blinked. While he was getting a better understanding of human emotion, slang was not his strong suit. "Yeah. Just something to snack on before we go home."

Lexlan opened his mouth to speak, but no words followed. Finally he managed to say, "Something to snack on?"

Roxas gave a small chuckle. "C'mon. There's this place I know you'll love." Before Lexlan had time to protest, Roxas tugged him into the station and began the long accent to the top of the clock tower.

Lexlan saw a familiar sparkle in Roxas's eyes. One he had seen before.

"_, come with me child." Master Yami had burst into _'s chambers. Quiet unlike him.

The room was fairly basic. There was a small mat to sleep on, a dresser, a desk, littered with books and scrolls; a plush pillow meant for meditation, and a small array of weapons lining the walls.

_ quickly, though unsuccessfully hid his staff behind his back. "Y- Yami-sama! What brings you to this part of the monastery?" A nervous smile spread across his features as he gazed upon his sensei.

Master Yami simply rolled his brown eyes. He was an older man, though appeared to be not a day older then 50. Grays lined his short black hair. "Now, now. I was young once, too. Don't think I don't know what your up to."

_ hung his head in shame. He had been planing to sneak down the mountain to see his friends during his brief break. He had hoped to get out scot free, but it seemed he was out of luck.

Master Yami laughed. "Don't worry, my gakusei. I just want to show you something before you knock out more of the Guardsmen."

_ stared at him with wonder. Regardless, however, he followed. They had just finished afternoon prayers, meaning the occupants of the monastery had a two hour break to themselves. While most would chose to sleep, or meditate, _had other plans. While he had sworn himself to the monks, he still had his own personal agenda.

Master Yami couldn't help but chuckle. Such a rebellious boy, and yet he had taken to calling his sensei 'Yami-Sama' outside of lessons. Before coming here, Yami was sure the boy would sooner lose a finger before referring to someone as the monks did.

_ followed his sensei curiously. Yami had led them both to his chambers. They were identical to _'s, other then a door opposite to the entrance.

Yami continued in, going through the door on the far side of the room. _ hurried behind him, eager to see what was beyond the door.

The two were met with a staircase going upwards, stone walls and the scent of incense. The monastery was built into the side of the mountain, providing the monks with a compound much larger then it ought to be. From an outsider's prospective, it appeared to be no more then three stories tall. In reality, however, not even _, who had lived there for two whole years now, knew how large the place really was. From what he had gathered, the monastery was larger then ten stories, though the only one who knew the true size of the place was Master Yami. He had heard whispers of another entrance at the base of the mountain, though access to it was given only to the masters and missionaries. So with that in mind, the monastery could scale the whole mountain. It did not, however, surprise him that he had not heard of this place before. While the place was large, including himself and Master Yami there were only about seven monks living in the monastery. Other  
monks had left to teach in smaller temples, though even those were few in numbers.

They had climbed up the steps in silence for a good ten minutes, their noses flooded with the scent of incense and burning candles. They halted at a door. Master Yami turned to face _. His eyes held a look of a child about to show off his newest toy to a friend. Excitement, joy, and anticipation. A look _ would never forget seeing, not even after becoming Lexlan. These emotions radiated off of his teacher, the father-like love mixing in. He opened the door, sunlight filling their eyes.

_ entered, his jaw dropping at the sight. It was a balcony styled arena, a waterfall to the left, a view of the farm lands to the right. One could just see the skyline of the city, Regnum's Edge.

Yami smiled to his student. "From this day on, I want you to meet me here during the final training session of the day. Here we will meditate on the balance this world exists in. Here, you shall learn to defend the light from the darkness."

"Sensei..."

"You are a strong boy." He beamed a smile to the boy. "And I could learn from your strength." Yami grinned. "Just keep away from the edge."

_ wore a smile that spread from ear to ear. "Stupid Yami-Sama..." He laughed a bit. "I'm supposed to be learning from you!"

This same look, that same shine filled Roxas' eyes. He turned to Lexlan and beamed a smile before bursting through the door, Lexlan following behind him.

Lexlan's jaw dropped at the sight. The beauty of the sun setting upon the town, the entirety of it in view. From the plaza down below, to the forest just outside the town.

Roxas chuckled at the newcomers reaction. "Me, Axel, and Xion come here everyday after work. It's no fun just going between missions and the castle, so we meet up here and relax for a bit."

"Why bring me?" He cocked his head.

Roxas shrugged. "I told you. I don't remember being human like you and Axel. I'm new to the whole friend thing. Ask Axel, not me."

Lexlan couldn't help but let a small smile spread across his features. "You don't ask to become friends with someone, Roxas. It's a bond that forms when you've spent some time with someone. Not something you verbally confirm."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh..." Lexlan put a hand through his messy black hair. He had never put any thought into it. He remembered the teasing he had received this morning.

"Leave the damned boy alone," Xaldin commanded. "The poor lad has only recently lost his heart. Emotions are a thing of fiction to him. Logic claims rule of him. More will be shown of him in the times to come."

"Ask me again in about a week. Maybe by then I'll remember what it's like to have friends." Lexlan gave Roxas a weak smile before turning to face the view.

Roxas had taken a seat on the edge, while Lexlan leaned back against the wall. Neither said a word. They both were lost in the view.

Soon, a girl with straight, shoulder length, jet-black hair and sapphire blue eyes. Similar a tad similar to Roxas, really. "Oh, hello. You must be Lexlan."

At the sound of the new voice, Lexlan was ready to attack, but restrained himself as soon as he saw the black coat. He instantly recognized the girl as Number XIV, Xion. In response he gave a simple nod of his head. "You must be Xion."

"Nice to meet you." She gave a sweet smile before joining Roxas on the ledge. "Where's Axel," she asked as she stretched her arms, exhausted from the day's work.

"He went to go get ice cream. We figured we'd show Lexlan the view." He turned to said boy. "So what do ya think?"

"To be honest..." He sighed. "I'm glad I don't remember what fear is like, otherwise I'd be screaming."

"Huh?" Both Xion and Roxas tilted their heads.

"Well-" he was cut off by the arrival of Axel, much to his relief. He wasn't necessarily up to explaining his fear of heights.

"Miss me," the red head asked, four popsicles in his hand. Like Roxas and Xion, he took a seat on the ledge. He passed out the ice cream, stopping when he came to Lexlan. "Didn't know what you liked, so I got you sea salt, like the rest of us."

Lexlan took the frozen treat, looking at it as if waiting for it to bite.

Noticing this, Axel turned to face him. "What's wrong? It's gonna melt if you don't eat it soon."

"Huh?" Lexlan locked eyes with the pyro. He had been examining the treat. "Sorry... Haven't seen ice cream since I was fourteen..."

"You haven't seen ice cream since you were FOURTEEN?! How old are you now?!"

"Sixteen."

"Jesus, man!" Axel was shocked. How could someone go that long without even seeing the frozen treat. "Where are you from anyway?"

"..." Lexlan remained silent. He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about his home yet. Then again, the red head would pester him to no end.

"Well?"

How was he supposed to answer? He didn't know what his world was called by outsiders. Maybe that was his way out. "I don't know what outsiders call it..."

"Well then tell us landmarks," Xion suggested.

Well shit. He was out of luck. "I lived in a city called Regnum's Edge. I moved into a monastery when I was younger."

Axel raised a brow. "Isn't that like some type of religious place?"

Lexlan nodded. "Yeah. The home of the Hogo-sha Monks. We're not allowed to indulge in sweets unless it's a holiday."

Roxas gave a puzzled look. "'Hogo-sha?'"

"It means guardian."

"So... You're a monk," Axel asked.

"I'm the disciple of a monk."

"Then how do you become a monk?"

"Training, devotion, meditation, prayer, and discipline. If you stuck with that, before you knew it your fingers were puncturing walls like bullets."

"What do you mean," asked Xion.

"I mean we literally puncture holes in solid walls with our bare fingers."

This caught Axel's attention. "How the HELL do you do that?!"

Lexlan groaned audibly. "Every morning, we'd go out to a tree in the courtyard and hit it with our bare fingers. It was an exercise that taught us how to channel our ki, or life force. When we finally puncture the wood, we move on to stronger materials like brick or steel."

"Wait," Roxas started. "So your telling us you can go through a solid steel wall with just a finger?"

Lexlan nodded a simple no. "I can manage to break through most stones but no metals."

"Wow," exclaimed Roxas. "You think you could show us?"

Lexlan shrugged. He saw no harm in it. "Sure. Just give me a target."

Axel pointed to the pillar he was l  
Leaning on. "Right there."

Without a word, Lexlan pushed himself up. He turned on his heels and entered a fighting stance. He pulled his arm back, focusing on the pillar. He imagined it was nothing but a piece of paper. Lexlan's fist closed, two fingers out. One for aim, the other for the strike. He inhaled, then exhaled. A deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth. His left hand was positioned in front of him, his body sturdy but relaxed. He thrust his fingers forward, twisting on the balls of his feet as he did so. His whole body turned with the motion, his fingers slamming into the pillar. Small bits of stone flew outward, a small puff of smoke forming. When it cleared, Lexlan stood in that stance, middle finger lodged in the pillar, index being used as a stopper. He pulled out slowly, leaving a small, bullet shaped whole in the stone pillar.

Axel let out a low whistle, obviously impressed by Lexlan's performance. Xion blinked, expression riddled with surprise, mainly because he had actually managed to break through the tough stone. Roxas looked at the small hole with amazement.

"Doesn't that hurt," Xion asked.

Lexlan nodded a no. "Not when you know what your doing."

Roxas averted his gaze from the small hole to look at Lexlan. "You must be incredibly strong."

Axel nodded in agreement. "Might have given Lexaeus a run for his munny."

Lexlan sighed. Oh joy. Now they thought he was super human. "I'm as strong as you or Roxas. I just know how to channel that strength. Anyone can do it if they know how."

From there, the subject was changed. Axel, Roxas, and Xion had taken to talking about their missions, Lexlan only speaking when Xion asked how he'd thought of the explosion strategy. "Like Xaldin said earlier," he'd said. "Logic claims rule over me. I just applied that logic to the battlefield."

He stayed mostly silent. He was to caught up in his own thoughts, Axel's earlier comment ringing in his ears.

"What about what you want?"

'I want my heart back,' he thought to himself. 'I want to go home, return to the monastery and live out my life there. I want to visit my apartment in the city... I want to visit Luna and Leo... I want to-' his thoughts were cut off by the feel of a cold liquid. He looked at his hand to see the melting popsicle. 'I want to go home,' he thought before taking his first bite out of the treat, the salty-sweet flavors melting on his tongue.

"Hey," Roxas started, drawing Lexlan's attention. "What was that whole thing about screaming earlier?"

Lexlan mentally cursed the boy. No way out of it now. "I had a fear of heights." He sighed. He knew he'd only fueled Axel's fires for future comments.

Axel let out a snort, trying his best to suppress a laugh. "Wait... Pfffft... You lived on top of a mountain... Eheheh... And you were scared of heights?"

Lexlan's eyes narrowed at the red head. "Yes."

"How the hell does that work out? Bwahahahahaha!"

"You fall off the mountain you live on." Lexlan must have missed the sarcasm. His expression was as blank as ever, he only went back to leaning against the pillar. "If I had a heart, I'd laugh. I lived in an apartment on the third story for eight years, then a monastery located on the highest mountain in that world for two years."

"How'd you fall," Roxas asked.

That was enough. Lexlan, quiet literally, had the patience of a saint, but he was done answering questions. "How'd you lose your memories," Lexlan snapped. This drew the eyes of the other two, a look of shock in Xion's, a look of warning from Axel. Perhaps he'd gone to far. "Sorry," he said. "But there are some memories I've blocked out. I'd prefer to keep it that way. Please, no more questions about my home."

Axel's glare softened. "Alright, Lex. We'll ease off."

"Um... Lexlan? I just have one more question," Xion started.

Lexlan turned to face her. He could bare another question. "Hmn?"

"You said eight years in the apartment and two in the monastery... Your sixteen... So what about the other six years?"

Lexlan's eyes widened at the question, shock filling his features. It was the most emotion any of the organization members had seen out of him.

Axel, noticing the sudden change in behavior, stood from where he sat. "Lex, you ok?" He placed a hand on his shoulder.

Lexlan was frozen. It was as if Xion had just opened a dam on a city. And he was drowning. There were things that Lexlan would rather forget. Those six years made up most of them.

Both Roxas and Xion stood, Roxas being the first to approach. "Lexlan?"

Six years... Six years with nowhere to go, no friends, no food, nothing. Six years surviving with nothing, with no one. Six years of his life spent in hell.

Xion shook him gently."Lexlan, are you ok?" Lexlan hadn't moved an inch. As if he was frozen.

If it weren't for Leo...

Axel shook Lexlan roughly. "Lexlan! You're hyperventilating!"

...there was a good chance he'd be dead.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Right! Look at this! It's on time! Ha! HA! Well, this is much shorter then the last chapter. Thanks for the review, mr. Anon. Well, I cant think of much else to say so lets hop right in, yeah?**

Falling.

He was falling. Down into the comforting darkness. It welcomed him.

Oh how Lexlan wanted to embrace it. To drown in it. He curled up, ready for the smothering shadows. He could swear he heard an echoing voice. He opened his eyes, unable to see his hand in front of his face. 'Hello,' Lexlan called out. 'Is someone there?'

"Come on, wake up!"

'Leo...?'

"Hey, I think he's coming to!"

Another voice. A female's. "Really?" How is he?"

Lexlan could feel the darkness lifting. 'Luna...?'

Yet another male's voice. "Come on, Lexy! Wake up!"

Lexlan was confused. 'Is that... Cid? Lexy...? No... My name's...' The veil lifted, light filling his eyes. He was met with three figures. Roxas, Xion, and Axel. He was confused. Letting out a groan, he spoke. "...where am I?"

Axel was first to speak. "Your room."

Lexlan pushed himself up, observing his surroundings. "Did you report in to Saïx?"

"Naw," said the annoying red head. "Figured you'd wanna be awake. Don't worry, we have till tomorrow."

There was a silence that followed. It allowed Lexlan to gather his thoughts, three worried glares upon him.

Finally the silence was broken. "Are you alright," Xion asked.

Lexlan simply nodded. "Mind telling me what happened?"

"I... I asked you what you were doing for those other six years..."

Just as he did at the clock tower, Lexlan froze, his heart rate increasing.

Noticing this Xion quickly rushed to his side. "Forget I said anything! You don't have to tal-"

"I was alone..." Lexlan's fist tightened as he said this. He took deep breaths, in and out, trying to calm himself down. "That's all you need to know... I was alone."

No one pried further. Silence again fell.

Lexlan stood, retrieving his coat from the dresser. he stopped after placing the hideous article of clothing on, noticing a book on the dresser. It was titled 'A summery of Regnum; From Monasteries to Cities, From Monks to Soldiers.' Lexlan stared at the book for a brief moment before turning to face the other three. "Who's?" He motioned towards the book.

Axel raised his hand like a student would. "Figured I'd learn a bit about your home. Big city, huge castles... Reminds me of my own home."

"Don't. I'm not going to be talking about my home."

"Well I wouldn't say that," Axel said as he crashed on Lexlan's bed, hands behind his head, a smirk upon his face.  
Lexlan shot him a glare of death. "Why?"

"Cuz there's a recon scheduled. You're from Regnum, they'll want a statement. May even send you there."

"And if I refuse?"

Before Axel had the chance to sneak in a snide comment, Xion intervened. "They'd turn you into a dusk."

Lexlan raised a brow. Dusks were lesser Nobodies controlled by the organization. Unlike the stronger fifteen Nobodies, they had no free will of their own, nor personalities. They were weak, faceless, deformed beings with no purpose but to serve. Even their bodies were of an unnatural form. They were true monsters. No humanity.

"Refusal to disobey an order that could be helpful to us makes you seem useless... The useless Nobodies are turned into dusks..." Xion looked to the ground.

Roxas was less apologetic in his actions, though his voice held genuine concern. "It's better if you get used to it now before Saïx decides to question you."

Axel chuckled, knowing Lexlan wouldn't put up with Saïx's 'mightier-then-thou' attitude. "This way you don't jump over the table and rip his face off. Though that might earn you a promotion."

This earned a laugh from all in the room, a snicker emitting from Lexlan.

The former disciple would have no qualms with tearing Saïx a new one. In fact he felt confident that the other members would assist him in doing so, based off the six of the other fourteen he'd met, not including Saïx and the Superior. Speaking of... "I'm curious to know, where are the other five members? There are fifteen of us, aren't there?"

"Correction: there WAS fifteen of us. Now there's only ten." Axel stretched his arms out as he kicked his legs on to Lexlan's bed.

"What happened to them?"

"Got eliminated at CO."

"CO?"

"Castle Oblivion," Roxas answered. "The Organization's second castle. Not used to often though."

"What happened to them," Lexlan asked.

"Classified," all three said in unison, Roxas and Xion rolling their eyes.

Lexlan payed no mind to the three as he made his way to his desk. "I have to start writing that report. You should start too." He fished through a draw, pulling out a report chit. He immediately began his writing.

Axel shot up from the bed. "Yeah, your probably right." He stood and began to make his way out.

Lexlan sighed. 'Please don't let this be a mistake,' Lexlan thought to himself before placing his pen down. "Guys," he called to the three.

All three turned to look at him. "Thanks. You could have easily left me there."

Roxas gave a soft laugh and beamed him a smile. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Xion made a similar gesture. "For now on, come to the Clock Tower after work. We can talk again. Right Axel?"

Arrogant as always, he simply shrugged, an uninterested look on his face. "Yeah, I guess he could stick around." He leaned in the doorway, an air of indifference around him. "Though try not to have another panic attack, 'kay?" He let his features soften into a smile.

Lexlan felt a small warmness where he once felt nothing. There was an odd twitch at has lips, a smile tugging at his lips, one he couldn't suppress. A toothy grin upon his face, he replied. "Thanks. I'll make sure to show."

Axel nearly fell from where he stood. Instead he wrapped Lexlan in a head lock and playfully rubbed his hear. "Ah, I knew there was some personality in there!"

Lexlan broke free with a small snicker. "Go finish your report."

The three made their way out, giving their goodbyes as they filed out the door.

Before they were gone, again Lexlan caught their attention. "Since you guys are ever so interested in the Hogo-sha, how about I cook you all a nice Tengoku styled meal?" There was no assigned dinner time at the castle. Members just grabbed what they wanted when they wanted it. They were more then allowed to go down to the kitchen and prepare a meal.

They answered in unison, Axel with a "whatever," Xion with a "yes, thank you," and Roxas with a "sure!"

And the deal was sealed.

~Later

Lexlan had made his way to the usually deserted kitchen. He was less then prepared to see its' sole occupant. "L-lord Xemnas!"

He had been boiling a pot of water. The lord turned at the at the addressing of his name. "Ah... Lexlan... How are you?"

"W- well..." This was the first he had seen of Xemnas since his initiation. Noticing his hesitation to answer, he quickly blurted out what ever words came to mind. "I- I fine. And you, Lord Xemnas?"

"As well as one with no heart can be." His usual, unsettling smirk seemed to spread. "I've been reading up on you... Akira."

Lexlan flinched upon hear such a name. "How do you know that name?"

"It is the name your masters gave you, isn't it?"

"How do you know that?"

Xemnas let a smile spread on his face. "I told you... I've been reading up on you."

Lexlan was shell shocked. No one outside Tengoku Point knew that name. Not even his closest friends. "That name... Only my brothers and sisters can call me by that. You have no ties to our order. I would ask you not address me as such, Lord Xemnas."

"Forgive me, Lexlan. I am not familiar with... What was it?"

"Hogo-sha." His voice was laced with venom.

"Akira Katsura Ichi... What does it mean? Why that name?"

"Ichi Akira Katsura," he corrected him. "All monks take the name Ichi as a surname, after our founder, Ichirou. Katsura is the name of the fourth generation of monks. Akira is the personal name, meaning Intelligent, or clear."

"And your generations?"

Lexlan gritted his teeth. Xemnas was asking far to many questions for an outsider. Not only of the order, but of his world. "Are named by the current grand master. The generations so far are Chi, Ki, Kye, and Katsura, all meaning life force."

"Fascinating... What do you monks do on that mount-"

"Sir, if it's all the same to you, I'm very uncomfortable talking about my order in such detail with an outsider who, if I might add, has defiled us by referring to me by that name."

Xemnas nodded. "Very well. What brings you here, Lexlan?"

Lexlan had begun digging through cabinets for his needed ingredients. "Dinner, Sir." His eyes locked onto a bag of white rice. 'White rice with some homemade ramon and steamed buns... That ought to do it.'

The proper ingredients in hand, he threw a pot of water on a nearby stove. The kitchen was large, equipped with any cooking supply imaginable, so avoiding Xemnas would be easy... He hoped.

Luck seemed to be on his side. He and Xemnas managed to spend the rest of the time in silence. Lexlan leaned against a wall, having finished the noodles, broth, and rice, he waited for his buns to finish. Xemnas had long since finished his meal. A simple plate of pasta. He had loitered in the kitchen as he ate.

Hearing the satisfying 'ding' of the timer, Lexlan quickly lied the buns down on a serving tray, eager to escape the awkward silence. He had planned to meet Xion, Axel, and Roxas in the grey area. Lexlan had already set up a place setting for the four to eat. Now the problem of carrying it all arose.

"Please, allow me to help you, Tinker."

Lexlan tensed up. There was no way out without showing blatant disrespect... "Thank you."

Xemnas, much to Lexlan's displeasure, took hold of the buns while Lexlan took the ramon and rice. "Where is all this to be taken," he asked.

"The Grey Area. Just open a path and we'll be there in no time."

Xemnas nodded, opening a Corridor of Darkness to the Grey Area and stepping through, Lexlan following in suit. He placed the buns down on the coffee table before turning to Lexlan. "Goodnight, Number XV."

"Thank you for your help, Lord Xemnas."

Xemnas stepped through the portal and vanished.

Lexlan began setting the table. The others would be there shortly.


	5. Chapter 5

"Akira-kun!"

_ turned just in time to be greeted by the smiling face of his fellow pupil. "Yumiko-chan. What's up?" It was just after afternoon training. They had a two hour break before the day's final training session.

"Me and Deisuke-kun were gonna spar together. Wanna join?"

"Sure. Oh, tell Shinobu-sama I won't be at practice again today. Yami-sama wants to see me again."

She crossed her arms in a pout. "Aw, that old geezer always wants to see you!"

_ couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on, it's not like he's been doing this ever since I came here."

Yumiko sighed. "You're impossible, Akira-kun."

"And you can talk Yumiko-chan."

"I can."

The two simply laughed. This was common between the two. _ would usually skip morning prayers and meditation, sneaking down the mountain to rendezvous with Luna and Leo, prompting his fellow pupils to tease him. They never had any harmful intent behind it. It was like how two brothers tease one another. In a sense, they were all family. All living together, eating together, talking together, they even shared the same name. All living on Tengoku Point. All Hogo-sha. All a family.

"Gakusei."

The two turned to see the, as usual, strict face of Master Shinobu. Both quickly stood, placing their left hands over their right fists. "Shinobu-sama," they said in unison as they both bowed.

Direct as usual, he skipped the formalities. "Akira, will you be in practice today? Or will you be joining Grandmaster Yami at the Overlook?"

Yumiko raised a brow. "Overlook?" Like _, she knew little about the true size of their home.

Shinobu ignored her. "Well?"

"I'll be joining Yami-sama again. I'm sorry, sir. Maybe I can try and catch the last few minutes before evening meditation?"

Shinobu sighed. "Don't bother." His features softened some. "Take any chance you have to learn from him. He learned from Ichirou himself... I'd want to see him privately for a lesson, as well."

Ichi Yami Ki. A second generation monk of Hogo-Sha, and the last surviving pupil of Ichirou. The kind old man with a youthful spirit, a wise, sharp mind; and a body of stone.

"Shinobu-sama, Yami-sama always says to never take out of greed, or desire, but out of opportunity to better your soul."

"He also says that you'll get over your fear of heights, but I don't see that happening."

_ smiled. If only he knew. Yami had been working with him to overcome that fear. That's why they met at the overlook.

"Carry on, Gakusei." Shinobu went on his way.

_ had made his way to the overlook, Yami sitting in the center of the hexagonal platform. "You are early, _-kun."

"Please, Sensei. Call me Akira. That is the name you chose for me."

"Well, 'Akira-kun,' today we well go over Ichirou."

_ rolled his eyes. "Again? I thought we were done with that!" He had taken a seat across from Yami.

"No, Akira. You have yet to grasp the point of these histories. Now, why do we take the name 'Ichi?' Why is it special, and what does it represent?"

_ placed a hand on his chin, speaking as if he'd said it a million times before. "In honor of our founder, Ichirou and his prowess in batt- ow!" Yami had whacked him over the head.

"No! We do not call ourselves that for power!"

_ rubbed his head as a way to ease the pain. "Coulda fooled me..."

"Tell me, Akira, how do you care for Deisuke-kun?"

"Well uh..." He had never really thought about it. "Like a brother."

"And Yumiko?"

"A sister."

"And what of Shinobu?"

"An uncle."

"We are a family, Akira. That is why we are called Ichi. The world could burn and we'd search for one another. That is why you received your name. You were reborn the minute you put on the Robe of Ichirou." He beamed a loving smile. "You are family, Akira."

'Family...' Lexlan sat in silence as he awaited the arrival of his guests. 'How does Xemnas know my name? He knows the generation name and everything... No one outside our order should know that name. No one from Tengoku ever went to any of the branch temples in the city... Not since I joined anyway... We never said our names in front of any travelers... How could he have that info?'

"Yo!"

Lexlan was ripped away from his thoughts as Axel waved a hand in front of his face. The three had arrived without him so much as noticing. "Oh, Axel, Xion, Roxas." He stood, bowing as he would at the monastery, left hand covering his right fist. It was out of force of habit, mainly. "Take a seat."

"Thanks," Axel said as he and the others slid onto the couch. Not the most elegant of dining spaces, but it was that or Lexlan's room.

In front of the three was a large plate of steamed buns, three serving bowls filled with a ramen meal of some type, each with a bowl of rice and a pair of chop sticks next to them. "Well, dig in."

They were hesitant. Lexlan raised a brow. "What? The noodles to soggy? Is the rice overcooked?"

"Um... What are these," Roxas asked as he picked up the chop sticks.

"Their chop sticks, Roxas."

"What the hell are chop sticks," Axel asked as he fumbled with the utensils.

"How do you not-" he stopped himself. He had never heard of them before he had joined Hogo-sha. Maybe this would be a good chance to get back at Axel for his endless sarcasm. "They're for eating. Any idiot can use them." He picked up his own, grasping a piece of tofu in the ramen. "See?"

The three fumbled with the sticks, prompting Lexlan to chuckle. "Hold on. I'll get you three forks." He returned with the utensils. "Eat up."

The four talked nonsense for the duration of the meal, occasional dodging of questions on his homeland, banter about past missions... And Lexlan's personal favorite... Having Axel cower in fear as he threatened to knock him out with a bat of his eyes. Not impossible... But out of Lexlan's area of expertise.

When the meal was finished, Lexlan collected the many dishes. "You three certainly know how to eat," he said as he grabbed Roxas' plate.

"Thank you," Xion said with a smile as she and Roxas rose to help Lexlan with the dishes. "For the meal that is. It was delicious."

Axel gave a satisfied sigh as he patted his stomach. "Damn right. Got any more?"

His question was met by a whack on the head from Roxas. "Don't be greedy. It was delicious, he slaved himself to make it all. Say thank you."

"Yeah, it WAS delicious." It was as if he hadn't heard anything else. "But how the hell can you be full on that? And where was the meat?!"

"I'm a vegetarian," Lexlan said as he, Xion and Roxas began to walk off.

"What?! No meat?!"

"The Hogo-sha believe all life to be sacred. we vowed never to take a life of even an insect."

"You didn't seem to have a problem killing Heartless."

"That's different. The Hogo-sha are sworn to protect the light, and Heartless threaten it. We have to be ready to take any extreme if it means protecting the light. That includes breaking our vows."

"Heh," Axel said as he to took a dish, probably as an excuse to follow. "What else are you sworn to?"

"Silencing heretics." Lexlan sent Axel a glare of death. He may not know how to make someone pass out like that, but he was damn near close to it.

Axel immediately quieted down.

"Xion, do you have the time," Lexlan asked as the four walked down the hall.

"Nearly eight o'clock."

"Then you've nearly seen the last of me."

"Eh," all three asked.

"Do you really want to hear more babble about my religion?" They arrived at Roxas' door first, though he insisted they continue with him.

Next was Lexlan's. The door, as usual, slid open upon their arrival. He entered, crashing on his bed with an exhausted sigh. He turned to the clock on the wall. Five minutes to eight. The others followed him in, resulting in a slightly annoyed sigh. "As much as I appreciate your company, really I do, I have things to do..."

"More Hogo crap," Axel asked, voice laced with a bit of playful arrogance.

Lexlan certainly did not appreciate his insensitivity. Fed up with the red-head's nonsense, he pushed him out the door. "Yes, actually. I may not have a heart, and I may be the newest member of this organization, but I took vows. Vows I intend to uphold. Now, if your curious what the hell I'm doing in here, you can go to a gods damn library, and look it up in a book. NOW GET OUT!" After pushing the three out the door, Lexlan shut, and locked the metal barrier. He heard a smack and Xion belittling the red head and, for the third of fourth time now, sighed. 'Right,' he thought to himself. 'Time for prayers.'

After taking a seat on the floor, he began chanting a prayer of shorts. This had became ritualistic to him. He had performed the same prayer every night since he joined the hogo-sha. Now, even after leaving his monastery, he said this prayer. It was his way of staying loyal. His sign of respect.

After this was silence. He said not a word, made not a sound, simply meditating. It was hard maintaining his old life style here... All the chaos, the noise, the stress of the daily jobs... But he'd keep up with it. No matter what.

'Remember what Master Yami said,' Lexlan thought to himself. 'Stress begets chaos... Chaos begets darkness... And darkness disrupts balance. Those who disrupt the balance...' He felt sleep begin to take him. It was late, and he needed his rest for whatever questionar Saïx would put him through the next day. 'Those who disrupt the balance are brought before the pupils of Ichi... And their fate is decided.' He stripped down before heading to his dresser, replacing his ridiculously long coat with a soft black shirt, and his annoyingly delicate slacks with a pair of boxers before allowing his head to hit the pillow. 'Leo... Cid... Are they searching for me...?'

~Meanwhile

Leo huffed heavily before wiping rain water from his goggles. Despite the heavy rain, he had managed to traverse the treacherous mountain trail, at long last finding his way to the monastery. With all his strength, he slammed his fist on the mighty, unyielding door.

Within a matter of seconds, the heavy door was heaved open by a boy around Leo's age, a crown of blond hair, and striking green eyes. "A traveler? In this weather? What are y-"

"Where is he?"

"Sorry, who," asked the monk.

"Allen. WHERE THE HELL IS MY BROTHER?! WHERE THE HELL IS ALLEN?!"

At the first sound of a raised voice, many had gathered from within, standing behind the boy. Three old men, a girl around Leo and the boy's age, and a woman, who must have been at least twenty.

The boy turned to the eldest with an inquisitive look, who nodded in response.

"You should come in," said the boy.

"Akira-kun!"

_ turned just in time to be greeted by the smiling face of his fellow pupil. "Yumiko-chan. What's up?" It was just after afternoon training. They had a two hour break before the day's final training session.

"Me and Deisuke-kun were gonna spar together. Wanna join?"

"Sure. Oh, tell Shinobu-sama I won't be at practice again today. Yami-sama wants to see me again."

She crossed her arms in a pout. "Aw, that old geezer always wants to see you!"

_ couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on, it's not like he's been doing this ever since I came here."

Yumiko sighed. "You're impossible, Akira-kun."

"And you can talk Yumiko-chan."

"I can."

The two simply laughed. This was common between the two. _ would usually skip morning prayers and meditation, sneaking down the mountain to rendezvous with Luna and Leo, prompting his fellow pupils to tease him. They never had any harmful intent behind it. It was like how two brothers tease one another. In a sense, they were all family. All living together, eating together, talking together, they even shared the same name. All living on Tengoku Point. All Hogo-sha. All a family.

"Gakusei."

The two turned to see the, as usual, strict face of Master Shinobu. Both quickly stood, placing their left hands over their right fists. "Shinobu-sama," they said in unison as they both bowed.

Direct as usual, he skipped the formalities. "Akira, will you be in practice today? Or will you be joining Grandmaster Yami at the Overlook?"

Yumiko raised a brow. "Overlook?" Like _, she knew little about the true size of their home.

Shinobu ignored her. "Well?"

"I'll be joining Yami-sama again. I'm sorry, sir. Maybe I can try and catch the last few minutes before evening meditation?"

Shinobu sighed. "Don't bother." His features softened some. "Take any chance you have to learn from him. He learned from Ichirou himself... I'd want to see him privately for a lesson, as well."

Ichi Yami Ki. A second generation monk of Hogo-Sha, and the last surviving pupil of Ichirou. The kind old man with a youthful spirit, a wise, sharp mind; and a body of stone.

"Shinobu-sama, Yami-sama always says to never take out of greed, or desire, but out of opportunity to better your soul."

"He also says that you'll get over your fear of heights, but I don't see that happening."

_ smiled. If only he knew. Yami had been working with him to overcome that fear. That's why they met at the overlook.

"Carry on, Gakusei." Shinobu went on his way.

_ had made his way to the overlook, Yami sitting in the center of the hexagonal platform. "You are early, _-kun."

"Please, Sensei. Call me Akira. That is the name you chose for me."

"Well, 'Akira-kun,' today we well go over Ichirou."

_ rolled his eyes. "Again? I thought we were done with that!" He had taken a seat across from Yami.

"No, Akira. You have yet to grasp the point of these histories. Now, why do we take the name 'Ichi?' Why is it special, and what does it represent?"

_ placed a hand on his chin, speaking as if he'd said it a million times before. "In honor of our founder, Ichirou and his prowess in batt- ow!" Yami had whacked him over the head.

"No! We do not call ourselves that for power!"

_ rubbed his head as a way to ease the pain. "Coulda fooled me..."

"Tell me, Akira, how do you care for Deisuke-kun?"

"Well uh..." He had never really thought about it. "Like a brother."

"And Yumiko?"

"A sister."

"And what of Shinobu?"

"An uncle."

"We are a family, Akira. That is why we are called Ichi. The world could burn and we'd search for one another. That is why you received your name. You were reborn the minute you put on the Robe of Ichirou." He beamed a loving smile. "You are family, Akira."

'Family...' Lexlan sat in silence as he awaited the arrival of his guests. 'How does Xemnas know my name? He knows the generation name and everything... No one outside our order should know that name. No one from Tengoku ever went to any of the branch temples in the city... Not since I joined anyway... We never said our names in front of any travelers... How could he have that info?'

"Yo!"

Lexlan was ripped away from his thoughts as Axel waved a hand in front of his face. The three had arrived without him so much as noticing. "Oh, Axel, Xion, Roxas." He stood, bowing as he would at the monastery, left hand covering his right fist. It was out of force of habit, mainly. "Take a seat."

"Thanks," Axel said as he and the others slid onto the couch. Not the most elegant of dining spaces, but it was that or Lexlan's room.

In front of the three was a large plate of steamed buns, three serving bowls filled with a ramen meal of some type, each with a bowl of rice and a pair of chop sticks next to them. "Well, dig in."

They were hesitant. Lexlan raised a brow. "What? The noodles to soggy? Is the rice overcooked?"

"Um... What are these," Roxas asked as he picked up the chop sticks.

"Their chop sticks, Roxas."

"What the hell are chop sticks," Axel asked as he fumbled with the utensils.

"How do you not-" he stopped himself. He had never heard of them before he had joined Hogo-sha. Maybe this would be a good chance to get back at Axel for his endless sarcasm. "They're for eating. Any idiot can use them." He picked up his own, grasping a piece of tofu in the ramen. "See?"

The three fumbled with the sticks, prompting Lexlan to chuckle. "Hold on. I'll get you three forks." He returned with the utensils. "Eat up."

The four talked nonsense for the duration of the meal, occasional dodging of questions on his homeland, banter about past missions... And Lexlan's personal favorite... Having Axel cower in fear as he threatened to knock him out with a bat of his eyes. Not impossible... But out of Lexlan's area of expertise.

When the meal was finished, Lexlan collected the many dishes. "You three certainly know how to eat," he said as he grabbed Roxas' plate.

"Thank you," Xion said with a smile as she and Roxas rose to help Lexlan with the dishes. "For the meal that is. It was delicious."

Axel gave a satisfied sigh as he patted his stomach. "Damn right. Got any more?"

His question was met by a whack on the head from Roxas. "Don't be greedy. It was delicious, he slaved himself to make it all. Say thank you."

"Yeah, it WAS delicious." It was as if he hadn't heard anything else. "But how the hell can you be full on that? And where was the meat?!"

"I'm a vegetarian," Lexlan said as he, Xion and Roxas began to walk off.

"What?! No meat?!"

"The Hogo-sha believe all life to be sacred. we vowed never to take a life of even an insect."

"You didn't seem to have a problem killing Heartless."

"That's different. The Hogo-sha are sworn to protect the light, and Heartless threaten it. We have to be ready to take any extreme if it means protecting the light. That includes breaking our vows."

"Heh," Axel said as he to took a dish, probably as an excuse to follow. "What else are you sworn to?"

"Silencing heretics." Lexlan sent Axel a glare of death. He may not know how to make someone pass out like that, but he was damn near close to it.

Axel immediately quieted down.

"Xion, do you have the time," Lexlan asked as the four walked down the hall.

"Nearly eight o'clock."

"Then you've nearly seen the last of me."

"Eh," all three asked.

"Do you really want to hear more babble about my religion?" They arrived at Roxas' door first, though he insisted they continue with him.

Next was Lexlan's. The door, as usual, slid open upon their arrival. He entered, crashing on his bed with an exhausted sigh. He turned to the clock on the wall. Five minutes to eight. The others followed him in, resulting in a slightly annoyed sigh. "As much as I appreciate your company, really I do, I have things to do..."

"More Hogo crap," Axel asked, voice laced with a bit of playful arrogance.

Lexlan certainly did not appreciate his insensitivity. Fed up with the red-head's nonsense, he pushed him out the door. "Yes, actually. I may not have a heart, and I may be the newest member of this organization, but I took vows. Vows I intend to uphold. Now, if your curious what the hell I'm doing in here, you can go to a gods damn library, and look it up in a book. NOW GET OUT!" After pushing the three out the door, Lexlan shut, and locked the metal barrier. He heard a smack and Xion belittling the red head and, for the third of fourth time now, sighed. 'Right,' he thought to himself. 'Time for prayers.'

After taking a seat on the floor, he began chanting a prayer of shorts. This had became ritualistic to him. He had performed the same prayer every night since he joined the hogo-sha. Now, even after leaving his monastery, he said this prayer. It was his way of staying loyal. His sign of respect.

After this was silence. He said not a word, made not a sound, simply meditating. It was hard maintaining his old life style here... All the chaos, the noise, the stress of the daily jobs... But he'd keep up with it. No matter what.

'Remember what Master Yami said,' Lexlan thought to himself. 'Stress begets chaos... Chaos begets darkness... And darkness disrupts balance. Those who disrupt the balance...' He felt sleep begin to take him. It was late, and he needed his rest for whatever questionar Saïx would put him through the next day. 'Those who disrupt the balance are brought before the pupils of Ichi... And their fate is decided.' He stripped down before heading to his dresser, replacing his ridiculously long coat with a soft black shirt, and his annoyingly delicate slacks with a pair of boxers before allowing his head to hit the pillow. 'Leo... Cid... Are they searching for me...?'

~Meanwhile

Leo huffed heavily before wiping rain water from his goggles. Despite the heavy rain, he had managed to traverse the treacherous mountain trail, at long last finding his way to the monastery. With all his strength, he slammed his fist on the mighty, unyielding door.

Within a matter of seconds, the heavy door was heaved open by a boy around Leo's age, a crown of blond hair, and striking green eyes. "A traveler? In this weather? What are y-"

"Where is he?"

"Sorry, who," asked the monk.

"Allen. WHERE THE HELL IS MY BROTHER?! WHERE THE HELL IS ALLEN?!"

At the first sound of a raised voice, many had gathered from within, standing behind the boy. Three old men, a girl around Leo and the boy's age, and a woman, who must have been at least twenty.

The boy turned to the eldest with an inquisitive look, who nodded in response.

"You should come in," said the boy.


End file.
